Baker School: A Century of Education in Austin
historic place
The Baker School, a historic place in Austin's Travis County, was erected in 1911. Located in the Hyde Park neighborhood, it replaced the original Hyde Park School. The architectural firm Endress & Walsh, with associate Roy L. Thomas, designed the school. Dedicated on November 28, 1911, it initially served as a segregated elementary school. The building exhibits Neoclassical architecture, constructed with local Austin Butler buff brick. It was named for DeWitt Clinton Baker, who helped establish Austin's public school system and its first public library. Over time, the Baker School functioned as an elementary, middle, and alternative high school, then as Austin ISD administrative headquarters. In 2017, Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas acquired the building for its corporate headquarters. The Baker School was added to the National Register of Historic Places in October 2023. This site reflects the changes in Austin's educational and architectural history.